It is learnt that following the issuance of a stop work order to ex-Indian cricketer Ashish Nehra over construction of a road in No Development Zone (NDZ) by destroying sand dunes and vegetation, the village panchayat of Cavelossim has now reportedly ordered the cricketer to restore the eco-sensitive area that is owned by him in the village. In another case activists are demanding the demolition of the illegal bungalow being built within the heritage precincts of Old Goa. These two issues have one thing in common. The locals have reacted late. Villagers need to be vigilant and proactive against any illegal activities in their locality which can avoid a lot of problems and heartbreaks. A fine example is the protest by the locals of Sancoale village against the mega project by Bhutani Infra. The villagers raised objections in time and halted the illegal construction. An ex-sarpanch of the village is now on indefinite hunger strike demanding that the panchayat revoke the license issued without obtaining necessary permissions. On the contrary, the hill at Reis Magos has already undergone massive destruction. It is said ‘a stitch in time saves nine’.
